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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. net — after costs
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. lean — to bend
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. net — for catching
  10. lean — thin
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. march — the month
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — the month
  16. kick — in football
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. march — music
  23. dip — to sink
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com